The Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) in Composition at BU School of Music is a comprehensive professional program in the College of Fine Arts. Composers work to attain a personal compositional aesthetic and the techniques to express it through sound, as well as a broad knowledge of contemporary and historical compositional practices and a mastery of analytic techniques for tonal and post-tonal music. Students develop the skills necessary to navigate the professional world, and the Center for Music presents them with an array of opportunities to hear diverse musical styles.
Curriculum requirements for the DMA in Composition can be found on the Academic Bulletin.
Program of Study
Students receive one-on-one instruction in composition. Required courses in music theory and music history as well as electives are offered, and the curriculum provides an excellent foundation for further studies. Students are encouraged to find their own voice in a collegial environment where all viewpoints are welcome.
A small department, the Composition & Theory program instills an open, collaborative, entrepreneurial sense both inside and outside the classroom.
Students join an international community of faculty and alumni who are music theorists, performers, conductors, and composers. This is an environment that encourages individual creative work and collaborative projects.
As part of a top-tier Music school in a major University, students have an expanse of opportunities including participating in Time’s Arrow, the new music ensemble, as both composer and performer, as well as collaborating with the College’s theatre and visual arts programs, such as in dramatic productions and installations. Boston’s vibrant music community offers countless possibilities to work with ensembles as well as in Lenox at Boston University Tanglewood Institute.
Annual award opportunities include the Composition Competition for Performance with Orchestra, the two Wainwright prizes, and Departmental Honors.
BU School of Music regularly uses three performance spaces: the CFA Concert Hall, the Tsai Performance Center, and the School of Music Marshall Room. It also has state-of-the-art practice rooms.
More about Venues & Facilities
Opportunities
Composers’ Forum
At the weekly Composers’ Forum students have the opportunity to share their own music and interact with visiting composers who are presenting work. For more information please contact department chair Martin Amlin at mamlin@bu.edu.
Center for New Music
Located at the heart of a thriving music school, the BU Center for New Music enhances the presence of cutting-edge music within the curriculum while encouraging awareness of new music within the BU arts community. To widen the conversation among the greater University, the center hosts lectures, demonstrations, and performances that are open to the public, providing a forum for broader interdisciplinary involvement.
Electronic and Computer Music Studio
The electronic and computer music studio contains state-of-the-art software and equipment.
In the News
GRAMMY-NOMINATED COMPOSER MISSY MAZZOLI ON WORKING ON A MAJOR COMMISSION AND WIDENING THE PATH FOR WOMEN IN THE FIELD
In 2024, Peter Gelb, the Maria Manetti Shrem General Manager of The Metropolitan Opera, the preeminent opera company in America, wrote in The New York Times how “opera is facing its greatest existential challenge.” The answer, he said, lies in artistic reinvention, especially new operas by living composers that feature “inventive, propulsive scores and intriguing subjects.”
Leading that reinvention is CFA alum, composer, and Grammy nominee Missy Mazzoli (CFA’02, BUTI’98), who is working on a major commission for the Met—her opera “Lincoln in the Bardo,” set to debut in 2026—and on widening the path for women in the field. “Missy is one of the foremost composers of her generation, who has a singular and captivating voice,” Gelb told Bostonia.
“I think it’s important for company leaders to think about the role opera can play in our modern world,” says Mazzoli, who made her debut on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert in early 2025. “I think it’s important to commission a large variety of composers from varied backgrounds in order to show the complex reality, beauty, and depth of human experience.”
Mazzoli is also the co-founder of the nonprofit Luna Composition Lab, offering mentorship, education, and resources for young female, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming composers ages 13 to 18.
Featured Faculty
-
Martin Amlin
Mildred P. Gilfillan Professor of Music; Senior Director, Young Artists Composition Program, BU Tanglewood Institute
-
Deborah Burton
Associate Professor, Music
-
Justin Casinghino
Lecturer in Music, Composition and Theory; Director, Electroacoustic Composition Workshop and Young Artists Composition Program, BUTI
-
Richard Cornell
Professor Emeritus of Music, Composition and Music Theory
-
Joshua Fineberg
Professor, Composition; Director, Center for New Music; Director, Electronic Music Studio
-
David Kopp
Associate Professor of Music, Composition and Music Theory
-
Rodney Lister
Senior Lecturer, Composition and Music Theory
-
Ketty Nez
Associate Professor, Composition and Theory
-
Steven Weigt
Senior Lecturer of Music, Composition and Music Theory
-
Jason Yust
Professor of Music, Music Theory; Director of Graduate Studies, School of Music
Associate Professor Ketty Nez Awarded Fulbright to Teach in Hungary
Associate Professor of Music in Composition and Music Theory Ketty Nez had the experience of a lifetime teaching contemporary orchestration and musical analysis to advanced composers at the Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, Hungary. And this was just one of many things that made Ketty’s Fulbright Award memorable. The Composer/Pianist, who has been teaching at BU since 2005, shares what her time was like in Hungary and what she’s brought back to the States to apply to her teachings.
Ketty Nez across from the Hungarian Parliament Building
Next Steps for Applicants
The best way to determine if BU is right for you is to explore our admission requirements, financial tools, and resources to determine if the program is the right match.
Reach out to Graduate Admissions at visitSOM@bu.edu with any questions along the way or to request information. We are happy to discuss your educational interests and career goals.
Chat with our student and staff ambassadors!
Discover more about our community by connecting with our current students and expert staff through chat! We are all standing by to help you find the right fit for your unique creative and educational goals.
